3.3.2: Labels or Instructions

What it means

Labels or instructions are provided when content requires user input. People should know what to enter, in what format, and whether a field is required.

Placeholder text alone is not a label.

How to fix it

• Give every input a visible label.
• State required fields in text and with required or aria-required.
• Add format hints (for example DD/MM/YYYY) before users guess wrong.
• Provide examples for unfamiliar fields like account numbers.

Quick examples

• Good: Phone field label says “Mobile number (10 digits)” with an example.
• Bad: Fields rely on placeholder text that vanishes when typing starts.
• Good: Required fields are marked with “(required)” in the label text.
• Bad: A complex tax file upload has no instructions on acceptable formats.